At the station we checked out the train times and went to the platform to find our train waiting for us. After sitting for about 15 minutes we realized that something must be wrong. We checked the platform sign again and sure enough it had changed! Confused we went down to the ticketing office and discovered that our platform had changed at the last moment, but since the announcement was in German none of us knew any better. After nearly an hour's wait we finally got on our train to Roermond. After another hour we got to our next stop and were warned by the father of two adorable little girls that we would need to run to make our connection. We sprinted through the station and got to our platform in just the nick of time--thank goodness for that lovely man!
When we got to Roermond it started raining, luckily my mom had insisted that I bring an umbrella and so I was very fortunate. To our surprise we found that nearly all of Roermond was locked up, so we decided to take a walk around to admire the old world architecture. We came across a massive Romanesque church called Munsterkerk.
In front of Munsterkerk was a massive gazebo where a big band was playing--for those of you who know me this was very exciting! I was a jazz musician and singer for a very long time and they were playing all of my favourite songs. We took a quick peek into the gorgeous cathedral and then sat in front under large umbrellas to sip hot chocolate and listen to the band. When the band started playing Michael Buble standards we all got up and started dancing in the rain--I love my friends and how willing they are to go along with my crazy schemes. I had a wonderful time listening in and singing along from my seat, until they announced "Save the last dance for me". I am not sure what came over me, but right after they announced it I cheered and screamed "Can I sing with you!?" I figure: you're only young once and what are the chances that I will find another big band? Unsure about exactly what I wanted, they invited me up (it is a good thing everyone in the Netherlands speaks English!). I explained that I was a Jazz musician and that I knew the song they were going to play--and they said they had a second mic! The band leader introduced me to the crowd and the music started! It was one of the most incredible moments of my entire life and I am so thankful that my friends were able to record it. After I was finished everyone cheered--it was amazing and reminded me how much I love music and performance.
After singing with a professional big band and being congratulated by a crowd of lovely spectators we decided to make a clean exit. As if the day couldn't be better--as soon as we turn the corner we discover a latin festival! My friend Dominique is a salsa dancer and immediately got super excited. Sure enough we found latin music, food, and SALSA DANCERS! I insisted that Dominique ask one of the dancers if she could dance with him and I practically ran over to the salsa group instructor and gushed: "She's a SALSA DANCER!" Absolutely delighted the instructor lead Dominique out on the dance floor and they were fabulous! I was so happy that she got to have such an amazing experience--both of us marked a big check off our bucket lists.
We were all feeling pretty tired by the time we were finished with the Latin festival and it was getting quite cold and wet. We made our way back to the station, crammed into a photo booth for an absolutely hilarious picture, and met some Canadians on holiday! After a relatively short ride to Mg we missed our bus because of a mistake with the announcement board. Impatient and cold we hailed a taxi, got back on base, ordered Italian food and settled in for an early night--day one of camp tomorrow! Wish me luck!
Weekend recap: I fell down the stairs of the biggest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe, got a kiss from a Russian who was about to get married, missed my first train in Germany, visited The Netherlands for the very first time, and sang with a professional Big Band in front of a huge crowd of people. Could this summer get any better?
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